Thomas County cat., 1887-01-20
BLEW THEM UP.
A Yankee Graft Astonishes Some
Chinese Pirates.

In 1910, owing 10 the wreck OF BOS-
ton brig in the China Sea, was left in
Hong Kong in pretty bad shape. After
/ had carried flag of distress. as you
might say, for two weeks, an English
man offered to let me work my passage
to Liverpool, but as was about to ac-
cept it ran across cOuntryman who
had berth for me. One of the largest
trading houses in Canton at that time
was composed of three Americans, and
they owned two small steamers and
three or four sail craft. These vessels
were employed in collecting goods
from the various islands to the South
east. and some of the voyages extended
up the Yellow Sea as far rs Teng-chow.
Just AZ that time the firm had come
into possession of new steamer, and
she was about to make her first voyage
There had been trouble with piratical
craft, and the steamer had been fitted
out to take care of herself. She car
ried two six-pounders, twenty Ameri-
can cavalry carbines, q score of re-
volvers and was fixed to throw hot wa
ter over boarders. Her compliment of
men was fifteen, of whom the cook,
steward and three fircmen were natives.
All others were Americans and English
men. The supercargo was an Ameri-
can, who could rattle of the Chinese
language as well as the best of 'em.
and the captain and some of the others
could ''smatter" more or less.
Our first voyage was to be up the
Yellow Sea, and We carried a load of
American and English goods. The
cargo well deserved the name of "mis-
cellaneous." There were muskets,
fish. spears, sole leather, tinware, look
ing-glasses, calicOes, buttons. stone
ware, lamps, fish nets. groceries, axes,
and almost every thing else you can
think of, and the supercargo also car
ried money to purchase what we could
not traffic for. We were to pick up in
exchange whatever foreign markets
called for in Canton, which included
teas. rice. several species of nuts, dye
Stuffs, roots, barks, skins, &c.
Twas in luck to secure the place of
mate, for Captain Tabor was splendid
fellow and the crew was one whic h
could be depended on. We had three
or four men who understood the hand
ling of the six-pounders, from had been
sent over from the United States, and
with the supply of small arms at hand
We felt ourselves a match for any thing
except a regular gun-boat. We got
away in good shape. ran up between
the coast and the island of Formosa.
and then steered to the northeast to
fetch the Lioo-Kioo Islands, which are
seven or eight in number and deal in
ginseng, sarsaparilla, and other medi-
cal roots. We stopped a day at Ke-
Lung, which is at the northern end of
Formosa, and almost opposite Foo
chow, on the mainland, and while here
it was noticed that the native members
of our crew were very thick with a lot
of suspicious characters who were
hanging about us the greater part of
the day. The supercargo overheard
them discussing our voyage and max
ing many inquiries and when he spoke of
the matter to the steward chat pig-tailcd
gentleman explained kaat all our ma
tives were related to the strangers who
had been hanging about, and of course
the latter took an interest in them.
/ don't know Chinese character as
well as some of the others, and was
therefore somewhat surprised to hear
the captain and supercargo discussing